Te Akau Season - Stakes' Win 29 (NZ) of 30

July sees the final month of our phenomenal 2023/24 racing season.  

As we like to do at this time of the year, we now reflect every day on our Group/Listed performers of the 'season that was' - and there were plenty!  In fact 30 across New Zealand and Australia, with nine at Group 1 level.

Another exciting ‘find’ of the season, was two year old Nucelozor, bred by Te Akau Stud’s David Ellis CNZM, together with David and Matthew Peacocke of Westonlea Bloodstock.  A hugely talented ‘home’bred’ he set the southern tracks alight in his short 2YO season … and incredibly became Te Akau’s ninth winner of the Listed Welcome Stakes …

As expected, hot favourite Nucleozor (2 g Almanzor – Nucleonic, by Burgundy) proved far too good in the $80,000 Riccarton Park Function Centre Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on 13 April at Riccarton.

Having unleashed a huge finish to win on debut in the 2YO 820 metres on 2 March at Wingatui, and asserting superiority to easily win the Pearl Series 2YO 1000 metres on 23 March at Riccarton, Nucleozor is nothing if not a horse on the rise and he easily accounted for his rivals.

Ridden by premiership leading jockey Warren Kennedy, who recorded his 24th this season win for Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Nucleozor was handily placed from barrier one, quickened through to arrest the lead off stable-mate Discretion Rules (Alabama Express) at the 200m and shot away to win by four and a quarter lengths.

For Discretion Rules, it was another bold run to secure a stakes' placed second, having played bridesmaid to Nucleozor at her two previous starts (his day in the stakes' winning sun was still to come - see tomorrow's story). 

“It was another really good win by Nucleozor,” said Mark Walker, who trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson.

“He was bred at Te Akau Stud, which always makes it special when a horse comes from the farm as a foal right through to this stage and especially to win at this level.

“We’ve always loved the progeny of Almanzor (Wootton Bassett). We think he’s an underrated stallion and his progeny only get better each year.

“What Nucleozor is doing as a two-year-old is quite exciting and we can only expect him to get better as a three and four-year-old.”

Nucleozor is a brother to stable-mate Qali Al Farrasha (3 f Almanzor – Nucleonic), who won easing down by four lengths over 1600 metres in February at Matamata, and subsequently finished second in the $150,000 McKee Family Sunline Vase (Gr. 3, 2100m) on Derby Day at Ellerslie, and third in the $500,000 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (Gr. 1, 2400m) on 16 March at Trentham. 

Each bred and owned by David Ellis CNZM and David and Matthew Peacocke (Westonlea Bloodstock), the Te Akau trained dam Nucleonic (Burgundy) impressed winning on debut over 1200 as a two-year-old, while grand-dam Mexican Rose (Volksraad) was Champion 2YO and 3YO in Singapore, having impressed winning two of her three starts in New Zealand.

“He’s proving to be a really good horse, Nucleozor, and it’s quite incredible to think that we’ve won the Welcome Stakes nine times in just over 20 years,” Ellis said.

“He’s a brother to Qali Al Farrasha and it’s a cross (Almanzor/Burgundy) that is working incredibly well.

“It shows what a great job Hunter Durrant and our team are doing with the horses in our stables at Riccarton. 

“We’ve had 15 individual two-year-old winners this season with horses we’ve either bred or bought as yearlings, and it’s particularly exciting because we buy horses with the scope to train on and it gives us some really nice three-year-old prospects for next season.”

Nucleozor has subsequently been sold to race in Hong Kong. 

Te Akau previous wins in the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m):

2022 – Sky On Fire (Exceed And Excel)

2020 – Avonallo (Belardo)

2017 – Al Hasa (Exceed and Excel) 

2015 – Sassy ‘N’ Smart (Smart Missile) 

2010 – Bespoke (Pins)

2009 – Encosta Diablo (Encosta de Lago)

2005 – Xbert (Bertolini)

2002 – Maroofity (Maroof)